Aladdin Model 12 lamp

Sold in US from 1928 through 1935
Sold in UK from 1928
through 1939
Sold
in
Australia from 1930 through the end of WWII
Special models sold briefly in Argentina and France
New replacement burners available through 1955

US #12 wick adjuster knob

#12 made 1949 - 1955 for replacement

The Aladdin model 12 lamp was an entirely new model from
the ground up and was the last Aladdin centre draft
lamp design. As you will see it was a very versatile
lamp that came in many versions.

The model 12 introduced the Lox-On mantle still used
today as well as the Lox-On chimney. The model 12 lamp
was the first to have optional paper shades as well
as glass shades. The model 12 brought decorated glass
shades into common usage.

The model 12 burner stayed in production until the
early 1950s to repair model 7 through 12 lamps and
for sale overseas. When the Aladdin headquarters were
moved to Nashville, Tenn. in 1949 the wick adjuster
knob was changed to read Nashville instead of Chicago.
Nashville model 12 burners never came on model 12 lamps
when they were new. The 12 burner is on the 1953 parts list but not on the 1954 list.

#12 UK

#12 Argentina

#12 Australia

Variations:

Table - Finish: Nickel plated or oxidized bronze.Font - (Wall mount, floor lamp & hanging,) - Finish:
nickel plated or oxidized bronzeOil Pot - (vase & floor
lamps) - Finish: satin brass.Transition (very early lamps) - 12 burner on model 11
table font . While not acknowledged in Aladdin lamp collector
dogma nor in the literature I have seen entirely too many Chicago
and London model 12 burners on the model 11 table fonts to believe
they were all burner upgrades. Especially since the cost of
a burner was over half the price of a lamp and the world was
in a prolonged depression. It is my belief that either the burners
were available before the new table fonts or that there was
substantial stock on hand that needed to be used up. I believe
this to be a perfectly legitimate model transition configuration. In
addition, Aladdin had an aggressive burner trade in program which
accounts for many model 12 lamps found on model 7 through 11
lamps. In keeping with manufacturing economics, the first model 12 burner baskets were model 11 baskets with a hole cut in the bottom for the redesigned wick raiser (per Andy Graham-Cumming )

Early table lamps - Early model 12 table lamps
have straight sides, a wick adjuster with arms shaped more like
the model 11 wick adjuster than the model B one and an outer
wick tube that turns counter clockwise to lock. I
have yet to find production dates but it is likely the straight
side model 12 was only offered during the first year of model
12 production.

Accessories:

Bug screen: Style with downward pointing fingers (Still
called bug screen until 1945)wick cleaner: skirted type with curved
bottom. Labeled "MODEL 12 Aladdin WICK CLEANER"Shade ring: Under burner shade ring with three arms for
10 inch glass shade on table lamps. Gallery mounted shade ring
with three arms for paper shades. Paper shade arm sizes for various
size shades from 14 inch dia through 21 inch dia. Wall bracket
as described below. Shades: (you can use the dia of a paper shade or ring to
get an idea of the likely age of some model 12 lamps)

Note: The instructions say
to put salt over a sooty mantle to help burn off the soot. Be
advised that the salt causes deep pitting green oxidation of
the gallery and burner. I advise against doing
this.

Andy Graham-Cumming's monograph on the model 12 table lamp, with focus on the UK versions. This is the most complete in depth study made of the model 12 burner and its evolution through its production life. This excellent monograph is copyrighted 2006 by Andy Graham-Cumming and provided here for you to read with his kind permission.

Model 12 Burner:

The burner illustrated above is an early model 12
burner from a straight sided lamp. Notice the top of the
wick carrier (similar shape to the model 8-11 wick carrier) and
the direction of the locking flanges on the air distributor (locks
with a counter clockwise twist).

There were slight changes made to the burner base between burners that used left and right twist air distributors. People who studied the UK model 12 burners have found several slight variations to the UK burners over the years.

When Aladdin was founded the norm for incandescent mantle lamps was for the cone that directed air into the base of the mantle to be located on the gallery. Older style mantles were conical bags that hung by an inverted 'L' wire hanger. The user adjusted the height of the hanger to fit the lower edge of the bag slightly down on the cone and bent it to try and centre the mantle over the cone. The very first Aladdin model 1 lamps used this arrangement, carried over from the Practicus burner. Most model 1 and mantle 2 burners used a Cap mantle which was a frame that hung the mantle in an exact location. This framed mantle was placed on the galley cone. This was a great improvement in that it properly aligned and spaced the mantle just by mounting the mantle frame on the gallery.

The Aladdin model 3, and late model 2 using the model 3 gallery & flame spreader introduced a new method of aligning a mantle to the cone. The Kone-Kap mantle frame included the cone that guided airflow into the mantle. The Aladdin model 12 burner changed the relationship between the mantle and the cone yet again, moving the cone from the mantle back to the gallery. The gallery has the outer bottom ring that locks the new (patented) chimney base to the gallery. Next is the holed outer cylinder that has the mantle support and lock at it's top. This locates the mantle directly over the centre of the gallery mounted cone. The underside of the new Lox-On mantle frame has a lip that seals against the cone (almost touching but close enough to inhibit most air flow). The flange baffle on the top of the outer wick tube is retained but an now upper air baffle was added to the underside of the cone. This inner baffle was to remain part of all future Aladdin gallery designs except for the Nashville model C, and may be the reason that the Aladdin model 12 burner was described as an "Instant light" burner.

There are two basic styles of wick risers as shown.
The one on the right is the early style usually associated
with straight side lamps. The one on the left is the
common later style. They are larger than the previous model
8 through 11 raiser and will fit model 12 lamps only.

The button on the model 12 wick locks into place in the holes
at the top of the raiser.

With the new Lox-On mantle came
a new flame spreader. Made out of nickel steel that is non-magnetic and does not rust. The diameter of the centre flat area and the centre hole varied over the decades. This design is used on all newer models of Aladdin lamps. When the manufacture of model 23 lamps was moved to Hong Kong the flame spreader was made from Brass.

The model 12 gallery was entirely new for the Lox-On mantle.
The cone was moved back to the gallery from the mantle and
a new mantle base locking sealed the bottom rim of the new mantle frame to the cone. This assured that the airflow inside the mantle was controlled by the air coming up through the air diffuser and as channeled through the baffle inside the cone. You can see part of the baffle inside the cone in the picture.

This gallery also introduced the Lox-On chimney. Gone are
fingers that hopefully held the chimney on tight enough not
to fall off during lighting.

This gallery design was quite successful and lasted until
a flood destroyed the tooling at the end of 1954. This
gallery was retooled in the late 1990's and is available
from Aladdin for the replacement market.

A later outer wick tube with clockwise
lock

The removable part of the outer wick tube has been shortened
for the model 12 burner. Early outer wick tubes, usually
fitted to straight sided table lamp bases, lock in the counter
clockwise direction. Later outer wick tubes, usually
associated with slant side lamps, have the locking flanges
ramped in the opposite direction so that they lock with a
clockwise turn.

The outer wick tube looks very much like the early model
A outer wick tube. The quick way to identify which is which
is to measure the bottom opening. The model 12 is 1-1/2"
dia and the model A is 1-5/8" dia.

The air diffuser is the skirt around the outer wick tube with all the holes. The air diffuser is there to provide an even controlled flow of air up to the burner cone and mantle. It reduces the affects of breezes on the flame.

The one part that was carried
over from models 7 through 11 is the filler cap.

Model 12 Table Lamps:

Picture courtesy of Anthony Trueman

The transition between model 11 and 12 produced a number of hybrids as Aladdin used up their model 11 parts. This lamp is an example of a model 11 bowl top attached to a model 12 bowl bottom.

There is speculation that Aladdin ran out of model 11 burners before they ran out of model 11 lamp bases to some model 11 lamps were shipped with model 12 burners.

Later when the model 12 and model B production overlapped parts of one burner would end up on the other burner if the correct parts were not on hand during assembly. Hybrid model 12/model B burners show up on occasion. See the page on Aladdin factory hybrids for pictures.

Early straight side table

Slant side table

UK model 12 table lamp

Model 12 Fount lamp:

Bronze model 12 font lamp

The US model 12 fount is entirely new and holds approximately
one quart of kerosene.

The new bottom skirt on the US model 12 font lamp is a lot
wider than the previous models making the font more stable
when used as a shelf lamp.

The drip plate looks like a larger version of the late model
6, model 7 & 8 and model 9 through 11 drip plates. It
snap mounts to the bottom skirt in the same way as the earlier
plates.

Wall mount bracket (1928
through 1931)

The bracket is made out of plated stamped steel parts. The ring
locks the basket into place. This ring is also used on the four
post hanging lamp frame and on the bird cage floor lamp.

The model 12 hanger basket and ring were used to mount the
font lamp to the wall bracket, the four post hanger and the
bird cage floor lamps.

The base of the basket clamps between the burner and the
font. The wick adjuster arm and knob fits through the 'T''
that can be seen at the back of the basket. The flanges at
the top of the basket fit to to a corresponding thread at
the bottom of the basket.

A locking pin on the ring drops into the basket slot visible
along the inside basket top when the basket is rotated to
the locked position on the ring.

A glass shade was optional for the Aladdin model 12 wall bracket.
Four of these arms can be screwed to the ring to support a 10
inch glass shade. The wall hanger picture above shows the four
mounting slots at the top of the mounting ring.

Late Model 12 bracket
(1932 through1935)

This bracket is basically the same bracket Aladdin
used for model 6 only with the addition
of stops cast onto either side. The stops would not allow the arm
to swing close enough to the wall to knock a shade off. This
bracket was also used on 1934 glass lamps as well as British
and Australian lamps of the period.

Hanging:

The four post lamp hanger was designed specifically for
the model 12 lamp and was sold from 1928 through 1931. The
model B tilt frame, named "Nu-Type frame"replaced the four
post frame in 1934 to 1935 when the model 12 lamp was discontinued.

The oxidized bronze hanging lamp to the left has a 616 undecorated
shade. There were two optional glass shades versions (616
& 620), with or without hand painted scenes, plus a large
number of paper shades available for the four post lamp.

Vase lamps

Model 12 Wick Cleaners

Two versions of wick cleaners
provided with North American model 12 lamps and burners.
Different letter dies were used.

This is a steel model 12 wick cleaner from Australia. Made during WWII. It has smooth sides with no knurling along the top sides.

Reads:" Model 12, unreadable number, Aladdin Wick Cleaner"

Another model 12 wick cleaner from Australia. This one is brass and is one of only two Aladdin wick cleaners I have seen with a closed bottom

READS: "Model 12, No8303, Aladdin wick cleaner"

Photo courtesy of Steve Fowler

There are two known versions of the Australian model 12 wick cleaner with a closed bottom. They each have a different shape in the skirt where it cuts off carbon bits from the top of the wick. Also one has a knurled top and one is smooth.